Women’s Human Rights Forum

Theme: Streams in the Desert: Women Inspiring Change

Grassroots Women’s Pilgrimage to Reflect Prayer into Action As the World Day of Prayer was commemorated in different Churches of Diocese of Calcutta- Church of

North India on 7th

March 2014 on 8th March on International Women’s Day Women’s Human Rights Forum

was organized by Diocese of Calcutta. 80 grassroots women leaders from self help groups, Naya Adhikar

Mancha & Church women gathered to share their testimony of faith and prayer reflected into action and their

strategies to combat gender based violence.

Theme of Human Rights Forum: Streams in the Desert: Women Inspiring Change

Venue: Jeevan Jyoti Upasanalaya (Church of Epiphany Pastorate) Kalagachia Village.

Organized by: Women & Gender Justice Concerns Desk, Diocesan Board of Social Service, Diocesan

Women’s Fellowship for Christian Service

Aim:

To celebrate women’s power and spirituality reflected in action in building communities of justice and peace.

To strategize, map issues, engage in advocacy & make concrete follow up action plans to mainstream Women’s

Human rights.

To enhance networking among rural/ grassroots women leaders & women leaders of urban churches to combat

Gender based violence.

Grassroots Women Leaders and Church Women Leader during Worship in Jeevan Jyoti Upasanalaya-

Violence on women and various forms of gender based violence is increasing in leaps and bounds in our country. Survey

revealed that West Bengal State in India records the highest number of crime against women in 2012. West Bengal also

records the third highest number of murder dowry deaths in 2012.Sexual violence and the culture of rape is increasing

in West Bengal. Even little girl children are not spared from being raped. However in midst of violence women are not

mere silent recipients and victims of violence. Despite their vulnerability in state of West Bengal – Bengali Women are

harbingers of justice and peace and continuously make efforts to combat violence bring transformation in society. They

act like streams in the desert continuously inspiring change to heal wounded community.

Outcome of this Forum :Women leaders strategized & decided (a) To promote the Diocese of Calcutta’s Campaign

‘‘Zero Tolerance to Violence on Women and Children’ (b) Identified immediate need for Trainings, advocacy to

combat Domestic Violence, Child Marriage and Promote Women’s reproductive health rights (C) Need for Women’s

income generating training programs.

Women’s Rights are Human Rights. Promoting

Women’s Human rights is a spiritual issue. It is the

sacred duty of the Church to empower and educate

people and communities to reflect their prayer and

faith into action.

Bijoya Das- Secretary – Diocesan Women’s

Fellowship for Christian Service (DWFCS)

Church women along with grassroots women leaders went around the village in procession singing songs as they

gathered together in Jeevan Jyoti Upasanalaya. They used symbolic gesture of using sari to symbolize streams in desert.

They marched together to the church carrying with elements like water pots, rice, mud lamps, paddy, and earth with

banners in their hand .Slogans in the Banner: Save our Girls! Save our Nation, Stop Human Trafficking , Right to

Education is my Birth Right, We want a world where there is no more Dowry deaths , Zero Tolerance to Violence on

Women & Children , Stop Rape – God Wants Justice, Our Daughters are not Burden : Stop Female Infanticide . Stop

killing our Girls in the name of Honor

.

There is need for paradigm shift in our mission and

evangelization strategies. Churches need to move beyond

charity. Women in our Churches are now evangelizing by

spreading the ‘Good News’ -‘Zero Tolerance on Violence on

Women & Children’ engaging in advocacy to combat

gender based violence. There is need to adopt rights based

approach in reflecting our prayers into action. Indian

Women act like streams in the desert even in midst of

violence inspiring change. The source of their strength lies

in their spirituality & faith in God of Hope and Justice.

Moumita Biswas- Women & Gender Justice Concerns Desk –

Diocese of Calcutta, Church of North India

Let us speak! Let us break the silence! Let us empower

communities to end gender based violence. Let us learn to

appreciate and encourage one another. I never cease an

opportunity to appreciate and encourage my young women

students. Appreciating and encouraging one another helps

us to understand that we women have the potential within

us to be streams in the desert and bring transformation – Dr

Ajanta Paul- Principal – Women’s Christian College – Kolkata

We women in our villages have organized Self Help

Groups to help one another. The Diocesan Board of

Social Service encouraged us to open bank accounts.

Our financial independence has given us more

power in decision making. Now if a child in a

particular family is sick and needs money for

treatment or a mother needs money to buy books for

daughter’s education we collect money from each

member of the samiti (Self Help Group) and give

loan. In this way we help one another- Mrs. Nasker

Mrs Naskar

Mothers came with children from villages to strategize and share testimonies how they combat violence in

villages forming Self Help Groups and Naya Adhikar Mancha. The women felicitated Rev Paritosh Canning Vice

President of Diocese of Calcutta- CNI with rice, water and mud lamp. “We are sharing our blessings and

power in healing community with you ” opined Anjali as she felicitated Rev Canning. Rice symbolizes- life in

its fullness and ‘Right to food’ .No one should remain hungry in the world. Water symbolizes that natural

resources are gift of God and everyone must get safe drinking water which is a Human right issue. Today in

the world women suffers when water sources are polluted as they have to walk miles to fetch drinking water.

In India many women became victims of rape and sexual abuse when they have to walk longer distance

through unsafe roads to fetch water for family where as our rivers and lakes are bought my Multi National

companies. The women leaders said “We need to acknowledge the support of many brothers in our

pilgrimage to end violence on women and children.”

Naya Adhikar Mancha (Village Self Help Group

Pursuing Justice) was established in 2010 in Sona

Mukhi village due to the support Diocesan Board of

Social Service. Its main function is to help victims of

violence especially women. Every week two three

cases of brutal forms of domestic violence are

reported to us; however most of the time issues of

domestic violence are not reported. Domestic

violence is further aggravated by alcoholism among

men folks in the village and poverty- Sulekha

Mondol- Associate Secretary Naya Adhikar Mancha

The aim of this women’s human rights forum is also

to engage Women’s fellowship in Urban Churches to

work in partnership with rural churches to combat

gender based violence. Accompaniment model is the

methodology that women have decided. An outcome

of this Human Rights Forum is Women take their own

decisions regarding how they will support one

another. They have identified some issues like

Domestic Violence, Child Marriage, Women’s

Reproductive Health Rights and need for Women’s

income generating trainings which the Diocese of

Calcutta will follow up.

Suvobrota Das- Honorary Secretary – DBSS, Director

Arunima HIV/AIDS Hospice